Pivotal mounting arrangement with clutch for flash lamps and the like



July 8 1952 Filed Aug. 6, 1947 J. C. WHELAN PIVOTAL MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT WITH CLUTCH FOR FLASH LAMPS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet l JNVENTOR. Jay/v C. Wynn/v y 3, 1952 J. c WHELAN 2,602,879

PIVOTAL MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT WITH CLUTCH FOR FLASH LAMPS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 6, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheei 2 unmm 00 M0 /az ma 404) 9 /72 M6 INVENTOR.

July 8, 1952 J c, L N 2,602,879

PIVOTAL MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT WITH CLUTCH FOR FLASH LAMPS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 6, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. Jay/v C. Wan/w BYZVMMM Patented July 8, 1952 PIVOTAL MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT CLU'IKCHFOR'- FLASH LAMPS AND T-HE LIKE .IohniC. Whelan, Nana-, Calif,

Application Auguste, 1947," Serial No: 766;;8365

2 Claims-.-.

This invention relates to photographic appara' tus, and; more particularly, the invention embodies a pivotal mounting arrangement for; a flash: lamp socket.v

It is well known in the art; asshownbythe patent" to Wildman 2,272,102,. to' utilize. a: photography systemembodying a. camera andone ormore. flash; lampsi remotely. located: from the camera. and. uninterconnected therewith, said camerahaving associated with it-fa transmitter circuit adapted; to send. out a wavesignal which is picked up by receiver circuits associated with" theflash, lamps to energize the lamps; simulta neously with the actuation of'the camera shutter; Dueato the fact that-each slave unit containing arflash lamp should be-orientatedso as'to' be aimedzdirectly: at: that portionof the scene to be illuminated, and due, further, to, the fact that the'numberof locations available for the setting or. hanging.- of. theslave unit may be: atiatminimum, it is advantageous toprovide a pivotal mounting for the-flash lamp; Bymeansof apivotal connection between theslave unit-housing or v case andthe flash lamp, it is;possib1e.to .first pre-set the. slave unit. in an available location, andlthendirect the. flash. lamp. reflector at.- that portion ofthe scenetobeilluminated, thus avoiding..the-.necessity of canting or. tiltingthe completeslaveunit so..-as,to getthe flash lampv prop-:- erly directed.

It is anobject.ofJthepresent invention to.pro vide. a novel mounting with. which. to. secure a flash lamp socket to. a support. member, such as a slave. unithousingor. case above.,-mentioned, so that. the socket willbe. capable. of a. universal pivoting. action.

Afurther. object of'the. inventionis to provide a novel flash lamp release-..mechanismand at tendant socket structure for the pivotalmounting embodied in..the invention.

And yet a further object of.the invention-is to provide a flashlamp reflector. with.a..directional sight so that the reflector may be accurately directed. by appropriate. movement of. the. elementsof the pivotal mounting.

And still another object of. the invention is to provide a novel locking'ring tosecure. themounting to its supporting case- Other objects andladvantagesof theinvention will be apparent from the: following, description taken in conjunction with the. draw-ingsforming part of" this specification, andlin which:.

Fig. 1' is a view in elevationofIaphotographic unit embodying the invention;

Fig: 2 is'; a. partial view inside. elevation of' the unitofLFig; 1;

Fig; 31s a view inzelevation; partly insection', of." the. flash bulb. mounting embodied. ini. the: invention;

Fig..4.-is a:.p1an view, partly in section, of-Tt-he,

flashbulb mounting shown in Fig; 3-, illustrating the mounting disconnected from; the supporting case;

Fig; 5.is-;a view. taken along lines 5-5 of Fig; 4'; Fig. 6 isia view taken along-lines '6+-6 of 'Fig; 3;. Fig; '7 is azview taken along lines 1-'! of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is aview taken along lines 8-8 of Fig, 6; Fig; 9 isa view 'takenalong lines 9-9: of Fig; 4; Fig; 10-is.a-. view in sectionalelevation of. a reflector and, flash; lamp socket arrangement adapting therprimarysocket for: use-withqmidget lamps; and t Fig. 11 .isa .viewxin perspective of the. reflector support. bracket. embodied in the-lamp socket arrangementfor midget lamps.

Referring'tother drawings for moredetails of the invention,Fig. 1 shows aremotely controlled flashlamp unit adapted to be. strategically located withrespect. to a scene to be photographed, and. at a distance. from the camera, said unit comprisinga case lll having in the front face l-Z thereof an aperture l4. A'phone-jack, indicated generally at I6, is secured. totheinner surface of the face I2, as by rivetsl8, and comprises a socket 20' carrying spring contacts 22... A v mount.- ing ring 24.having. an inset face 26iand.a flange 2'8' isadapted to be supported onthe face. I2.by meansof. a plurality. of, pins 30 carried. by. said face and adapted tobe passed through a plurality of apertures. 31in theflange 28;. Theflangejfl is. provided. with an. aperture. 33 for a, purpose hereinafter. described.

A. locking ring 3.4; secured; to. the. flange. 28 for. limited'pivotal movement with respecttheree to by, pins. 36, carriediby the flange andv passed through diametrically opposed slots 38' in. the ring, isiurther provided'with a pluralityof slots 58 having enlarged portions, Ellfor the reception of theheads. of the .pins 30.and.having restricted portions. 52. adapted to. lockingly securev both the ring34. and flange 2.8. totheface l2 upon amtation of said .ring tobringthe head portions'ofthe pins 3il= over the restricted portions..52 of, the slots 48... The ring. 34. is. also, provided: with a pair; of upstanding. rib members 54 and 156.,. said member E l-having flanges 53 securedto the ring 34by rivets 60, and said rib membenES having a flange 62-, flxedlysecured to the ringt l by rivets 64; and. a. free flange .66terminating i11:&;-.d.OWIlv wardly bent. portion, or. detent' 68.. When the ringflldfis in thelocking position of Fig.6; the dea tent 6.8 is in engagement withthe. aperture. 33.01

flange 28 to prevent any relative movement of the ring with respect to the flange, while a movement of the ring to the unlocking position through the gripping media of the ribs 54 and 56 serves to raise the detent 68 from engagement with the aperture 33 to allow a free turning of the ring.

A disk I2, fixedly secured to a hollow shaft I4, is held in pressing engagement with the face 26 of the mounting ring 24 by a spring washer I6 secured against the mounting ring by a nut I8 carried on a threaded portion ofthe shaft I4. At the end of the shaft I4 there is carried a lock nut 80 having a lateral opening for the passage therethrough and into said shaft of an insulated cable 82, said cable issuing from the side of a flat plug 84 carried. by oppositely disposed brackets 86 secured to the end of the nut 80. The cable makes contact within the plug with a plug stem 88 carried by said plug. When the disk I2 is rotated against the slight holding action caused by the engagement of the face 26 with said disk, the shaft I4, nut I8, nut 80, plug 84 and plug stem rotate therewith. As shown in Fig. 4, the same members are removable as a unit from the phone jack I6 when the locking ring 34 is rotated to its unlocking position. A set screw 90 carried by the disk I2 is provided to frictionally engage the mounting ring 26 and lock said disk to the mounting ring in any desired position.

A clutch case, indicated generally at 92, and comprising complementary case sections 04 and 96, has the section 04 thereof carried by the disk I2, while the section 96 has secured thereto by screws 98 of insulating material a lamp socket 5 casing I00, there being a sheet of insulation material I02 between said section 06 and casing I00. The case sections 94 and 96 are secured together, so as to allow a ready relative rotation therebetween, by a square shaft I04 seated in a boss I06 carried by the case section 06, said case section 96 being secured to said shaft by a bolt I08 threadably engaged in the tapped end of said shaft, while said case section 94 is apertured to be sleeved over the threaded end of said shaft and to be held in wiping engagement with a shoulder IIO of said shaft by nuts H2 and a spring washer I I3.

The case section 94 has secured thereto, as by a suitable bonding agent, a backing ring II4,

preferably of fiber, or like material, having a plurality of spaced protuberances IIS, and to the backing ring there is secured, as by bonding, a clutch face ring H8 of rubber, or material having a high coeificient of friction, said ring H8 having a plurality of spaced indentations complementary to the protuberances II6. A second clutch face ring I secured to a backing ring I22 is normally urged into tight engagement with the clutch face ring I I8 by a spring I24 seated in an annular groove I25 in the boss I06, said backing ring I22 having a square central aperture for the sleeving of said ring on the square shaft I04 and for the locking of said ring to said shaft for rotation therewith and with the case section 96.

The shaft I04 has a transverse slot I28 in which there resides a cross arm I30, said arm having threadably engaged therewith a shaft I32 extending from the shaft I04 and terminating in a handle I 34.

It will be clear that when the handle I34 is pushed inwardly, the cross arm I forces the clutch face ring I20 away from engagement with the clutch face ring II8 against the action of spring I24, whereupon the case section 96 may be rotated with respect to the case section 94 to variably position the lamp socket casing I00 about the longitudinal axis of shaft I04, while the rotatability of disk I2, upon the disengagement of the set screw 96, with respect to the face 26 of the mounting ring 24 allows for the movement of the lamp socket casing I00 about the axis of shaft "I4. The lamp socket casing is thus capable of a universal pivoting action. When the handle I34 is released, the cross arm I30 is forced outwardly by the backing ring I22 under the action of spring I24 to allow the engagement of clutch rings [I8 and I20 and the consequent locking together of the case sections 04 and 96.

The lamp socket casing is provided with insulation I36 having an aperture in alignment with an aperture I36 in the casing for the passage into said casing of the cable 62, said cable having one lead thereof connected to a binding post I40 carried by the insulation and serving as an anchor for a spring I42 having a contact plate I44 at the upper. end thereof, and said cable having the other lead thereof afiixed, as by soldering, to the casing I00.

The back wall of the casing in conjunction with the insulation I30 defines a slot I46, and secured to the outer surface of the back wall of the casing, as by rivets I 43, is a spring arm I49 carrying a detent I50 and a knob I52, said detent I50 extending into the slot I46 through an opening I54 in the casing.

The socket within the casing I00 is defined by a conductor strip I56 having ribs I58, said strip being secured to the insulation and having its ends in contact with end portions I60 of spring arms I62 and I64, each arm constituting a lateral portion of the socket having a rib I66, and said arms having oppositely directed forward portions I65 and I67, in overlying spaced relation, having ribs I63. The arms extend through oppositely disposed slots II0 in the casing I00 and are provided with ears I12.

A supporting arm I74 is adapted to be inserted within the slot I46 to force the detent I50 outwardly, said detent then becoming engaged with an aperture or niche, not shown in the arm I14, when said arm is inserted fully within the slot I46, to lock said arm in position in the slot. A reflector I16 having an opening I78 for a flash lamp is adapted to be adjustably mounted on the arm I14 by means of a slide fitting I80 and a set screw I02. A bracket I84 mounted on the refiector serves as a support for a sight I06 comprised of a viewing plate I83 having cross-hairs I60 and an arm I04 having a bead I00. The plate I80 and the arm I94 are pivotally carried by the bracket so that the sight may be collapsed when notinuse.

lIhe universal pivoting action of the casing I00 due to the rotatability of disk "I2 and of the clutch case section 96 with respect to case section 94 has been above described. The sight I86 is used by the operator to accurately position the casing I00 and reflector I16 through the media of the clutch and disk mounting.

A flash lamp I06, shown in dotted outline in Fig. '3, having a threaded end 200 may be secured in the casing I00 by a pressing of the lamp against the contact plate I44 to compress the spring I42 while the lateral portions of the spring arms are displaced outwardly by a holding pressure applied to the ears I12 to move said ears toward the casing I00. When the lamp has been properly positioned within the socket, the holding force is released to allow the lateral portions of the arms I62 and I64 to move inwardly, whereupon the threaded end 260 of the lamp is engaged by the ribs, or semi-threads, I58, I66 and I68 to hold the lamp within the socket.

After the lamp is fired, it may be removed from the socket by a pressing of the ears I12 toward the casing to displace the lateral portions of the arms I62 and I64 outwardly, whereupon the lamp is ejected from the socket by the spring I42.

In order to accommodate midget flash lamps which are too small to be directly secured within the socket of the casing I00, an auxiliary socket 2H) is provided, said socket being secured by a clamp 2I2 to a reflector mounting 214 having an arm 2I6 adapted to be inserted within the slot I46 in the casing 189. The reflector mounting has a Web 2 I8 secured to a reflector 228, said web having a tongue 222 struck therefrom provided with a detent 224, having an angularly inclined leading edge 225, extending into the socket 2I8 through one of two oppositely disposed notches 226 in said socket extending downwardly from the upper edge thereof. The socket 2I0 is provided with threads 228 and contains a core of insulating material 230. A contact pin 232 having a head 234 at each end thereof is carried by the core 236 for free reciprocal movement.

The socket 2!!! is secured in the casing I80 by inserting the arm 2I6 in the slot I46 andby engaging the threads 228 with the ribs I58, I66, and I68 of the arms I62 and I64. The lower head 234 of the pin 232 is then in contact with the plate I44. A midget lamp 236 having a pair of oppositely disposed nibs 238 is inserted within the upper end of the socket with the nibs 238 within the notches 226 to force the pin 232 downwardly against the action of spring I42. The reflector 220 may be bent to the right and downwardly to depress the web 2I8 and withdraw the detent 224 from the socket 2I0 to allow the insertion of the lamp, or the forcing action of the nib 238 against the angularly inclined edge 225 of the detent 224 may be utilized to force the detent 224 outwardly to allow insertion of the lamp. When the lamp has been inserted within the socket, the detent 224 springs back into the socket over the nib 238 to'serve as a holding member for the retention of the lamp in the socket.

When the lamp 236 has been fired, it is removed 0 from the socket 2 I 8 by springing the reflector 228 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 10, to depress the web 2I8, thus freeing the detent 224 from engagement with the nib 238 and allowing the spring I42 to force the pin 232 upwardly to eject the lamp from the socket 2 I 0.

A sight, similar to I86, but not shown, is provided for the reflector 220.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that the embodiment is subject to modification within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A flash lamp mounting comprising a mounting ring member attachable to a supporting case, a disk member carried by said mounting ring member for relative rotation therewith in one plane, means carried by said disk member adapted in one position to fix said disk member against rotation with respect to said mounting ring member and adapted in another position to release said disk member for rotation, a lamp socket supported by said disk member and interconnected therewith through a pivotal connection, the elements of said connection bein relatively movable with respect to each other in a plane normal to said first mentioned plane, a clutch element carried by each of the elements of said connection and adapted to coact to prevent relative movement between the elements of said connection, resilient means normally urging said clutch elements together and control means carriedby said connection and movable transversely to said clutch elements to overcome said resilient means and separate said clutch elements to allow a pivotal action between the elements of said connection.

2. A flash lamp mounting comprising a mounting ring member attachable to a supporting case, a disk carried by said member for relative rotation therewith, means carried by said disk and adapt-ed in one position of operation to prevent relative movement between said disk and mem- JOHN C. WHELAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,486,896 Hubbell Mar. 18, 1924 1,934,902 Wuelker Nov. 14, 1933 2,110,131 Auklam Mar. 8, 1938 2,110,132 Douglas 1 Mar. 8, 1938 2,261,953 Brown Nov. 11, 1941 2,290,793 Alderman July 21, 1942 2,293,660 Nicolas Aug. 18, 1942 2,314,033 Curran Mar. 16, 1943 2,371,479 Steiner Mar. 13, 1945 2,384,327 Mendelsohn Sept. 4, 1945 2,458,967 Wiedenholft Jan. 11, 1949 2,477,895 Pollock Aug. 2, 1949 2,478,545 Pearce Aug. 9, 1949 2,485,403 Noel et al Oct. 18, 1949 

